That Time of Year

That Time of Year

It’s about that time of year—tradeshows are in full swing, travel is on your weekly agenda and budgets are squeezed tight, all in the hopes that your marketing and sales efforts will pay off and your educational knowledge will increase. The year holds many options for tradeshows geared specifically toward your market. One of the major shows to occur on an annual basis is the WQA Aquatech USA—the Water Opportunity Show.

WQA Aquatech USA occurs every March and pulls together the residential, commercial, light industrial and small community system water segments into one large event. This one-stop event connects technologies, know-how, education, training, networking and business opportunities to multiple water industries.

WQA Aquatech USA 2010 will be held from Tuesday, March 9, to Friday, March 12, 2010, at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando. The show will have segments from household, commercial and industrial markets and an emphasis on custom water application from drinking, process, ultrapure and wastewater. The show will feature technologies such as reverse osmosis membranes, media and everything in between. The show will also support other elements such as pumps, tanks, valves, pipes, tubing and other key products and services.

Exhibit

For this year’s event, 300-plus exhibiting companies are predicted to showcase new products, services and suppliers.

Companies that choose not to exhibit can register as an attendee only. For the 2010 tradeshow, 4,000-plus attendees are predicted. In 2009, 68% of attendees planned to purchase products or services from companies that exhibited. Attendees include residential and industrial dealers, commercial and industrial companies, consulting and specifying engineers, distributors, resellers, end users, business entrepreneurs and other key decision makers. All registrants will receive an overview of the industry’s hot topics.

Highlights

To cover the industry’s most relevant issues and topics, the show will have a State of the Industry report, opening general session and daily keynote speakers.

The keynote speaker for Wednesday is Tim Miles, senior partner with the strategic planning and message development firm Wizards of Ads, who will be giving a presentation titled, “The Pendulum Marketing in 2010 and Beyond.”

Friday’s keynote speaker is Marc Edwards, whose presentation is called, “Hidden Dangers in Residential Plumbing.” Edwards will share his findings on unforeseen, worrisome conditions in residences that can degrade the quality of potable water.

Education & Certification

Attendees can also take advantage of the education and training sessions available during the show to expand knowledge and update skills. Educational sessions will be offered on the show floor at the education aqua stages and will include topics covering latest research, innovative technologies, equipment troubleshooting and maintenance, emerging issues, sales and marketing and system design. WQA Aquatech USA also offers professional certification testing opportunities.

WQA’s Professional Certification program helps consumers and employers identify individuals in the point-of-use/point-of-entry water quality improvement industry who have demonstrated a certified level of professional expertise and are dedicated to high professional standards. WQA certification is a voluntary credentialing process, and the candidate must pass comprehensive exams and accept the WQA Code of Ethics for the Water Quality Improvement Industry. Individuals will have the opportunity to become Certified Water Specialists at the show.

WQA Aquatech USA 2010 attendees can also take advantage of WQA’s Membership Program and Product Certification Program. WQA membership offers networking, education, credibility, marketplace protection, lead generation, product and professional certification and technical support. Attendees can sit down with a member expert at the show and take advantage of the benefits and sign up at the show. Attendees will also be able to sit down with WQA professionals to discuss the Gold Seal Product Certification Program.

WQA’s Gold Seal Product Certification Program is solely dedicated to the certification of drinking water and related products and represents one of the oldest third-party certification programs in the drinking water industry. WQA issued the first Gold Seal Mark of Excellence in 1959. WQA is accredited by the American National Standards Institute and the Standards Council of Canada. This established program offers manufacturers seeking certification quick turnaround times, regulatory compliance, superior reputation, seal recognition and fair pricing. WQA’s Gold Seal offers a competitive edge in the marketplace.

Connect

Along with industry reports, daily keynote speakers, educational sessions, professional certification, membership and product certification, WQA Aquatech USA 2010 also offers networking and social events. The show will include separate show-organized events, exhibitor-sponsored receptions and industrial water speed networking.